Michael Heer
Jul 31, 2007, 10:09 AM
!Introduction
Wright Brothers RC designs and sells WWI machine guns for your warbird. For those of us with World War I planes who want to add more detail, we’re in luck! Currently there are two machine guns in their lineup: the German Spandau and the British Lewis machine gun, and it appears they are working on a Parabellum gun as well.
The guns are made in four different scales: 1/8, 1/9, 1/10 and 1/12. Based on wing length comparisons, I got the 1/10th scale Lewis for my second Great Planes Electrifly SE5a to mount on the top wing and the 1/9th scale Spandau guns for my Great Planes Electrifly Fokker D-VII. At the risk of giving away the ending, I should have asked for 4 Spandau guns as my Fokker Dr-1 needs a pair to keep up with my Fokker D-VII!
| spec2
|
| @Ws2.jpg
|> <b>Weight:</b> |< 2-3 grams
|> <b>Length 1/9 scale Spandau:</b> |< 4-7/16"
|> <b>Length 1/10 scale Lewis:</b> |< 4"
|> <b>Materials:</b> |< Laser-cut balsa, card stock & plastic (Lewis also has plywood)
|> <b>Manufacturer:</b> |< <a href=http://www.wrightbrothersrc.com>Wright Brothers RC</a>
|> <b>Available From:</b> |< <a href=http://www.wrightbrothersrc.com>Wright Brothers RC</a>
|> <b>Price:</b> |< $6.00 plus shipping & handling
!Kit Contents
Each kit comes with instructions, laser-cut balsa, card stock and plastic parts. The Lewis gun also has a small piece of plywood. More detailed instructions for the assembly of the guns can be found on the Wright Brothers’ web site and include color pictures of each stage along with a good description. The instructions for each page print out on one page.
!!Lewis Machine Gun Kit
@guns-04.jpg:Product information sheet
@guns-03.jpg:Detailed drawing of the gun
@guns-05.jpg:Parts as they come bagged
@guns-12.jpg:Parts out of the bag
@guns-13.jpg:Parts punched out of the laser cut balsa and plywood
@guns-11.jpg:Instruction manual on the inside of the product info sheet
!!Spandau Machine Gun Kit
@guns-07.jpg:Product information sheet
@guns-08.jpg:Detailed drawing of the gun
@guns-06.jpg:Parts as they come bagged
@guns-10.jpg:Parts out of the bag
@guns-09.jpg:Instruction manual on the inside of the product info sheet
*Kits Require:
*Wood glue
*Thin CA
*Thick CA
*Paints: black, brown and gun metal
*Small brush
*Exacto knife
*Sandpaper
*Rubbing Alcohol (Spandau)
!Assembly of the Guns
I found the instruction manual included on the inside of the Product information sheet to be sufficient for me to assemble these guns. However, I did check out the more detailed instructions on the web site, and they included color pictures of the different steps in the assembly process so that even a novice should be able to successfully assemble the guns without any problems. Below are pictures from their web site and then some of mine from the assembly process.
!!Assembling the Lewis Gun
@step1a.jpg:Laminate the slotted balsa main body part on left with plywood in the middle on its right and the other balsa part on the far right.
@step1b.jpg:Here is the view of the right side of the main assembly.
@step2.jpg:Laminate the figure 8 parts and the gun sight to the barrels as shown.
@step3.jpg:Carefully trial fit the barrels to the main assembly.
@step4.jpg:When satisfied with the fit, glue together with thin CA.
@step5.jpg:Laminate the 3-ammo drum parts together with proper alignment. Attach the paper pinwheel as shown to the top, and then add the plywood circle. Use foil to add the handle on top.
@step5a.jpg:Glue gun to drum body.
@step6.jpg:Glue tip of toothpick into slot for cocking handle and add a small drop of glue to tip for handle.
@step7.jpg:Add paper grips to gun handle and paint.
@Side_View.jpg:The finished gun ready for the plane.
@DSC06993.jpg:My own Lewis during the assembly phase.
@DSC06994.jpg:The Lewis gun assembled before painting.
@Gu 001.jpg:The assembled gun now painted.
!!Painting/coloring
To complete both guns I used a black permanent marker and Testor's flat black and European Gray Modelmaster (also by Testors) paint. I used a brown permanent marker on the Lewis machine gun handle.
Currently, the Lewis machine gun does not come with a mount for installing the gun to the upper wing of planes. Since I added mine to my SE5a, I drew a mount on balsa and added some thin plywood for strength. To that I installed two magnets on the mount and glued matching magnets to the wing. (My addition is shown in the pictures below.) As mentioned above, I used permanent markers to color my gun mount.
*Parts used:
*Balsa wood
*Thin plywood
*4 magnets
*Thick CA
!!Assembling the Spandau Gun
@DSC06995.jpg:Color the inside of the cooling jacket. I used a black magic marker.
@DSC06996.jpg:Wipe the cooling jacket with rubbing alcohol and wrap it around something round about the size of the cooling jacket.
@DSC06997.jpg:Laminate the three main body parts together. The identical two parts go on the outside.
@DSC06998.jpg:Glue the two ends of the cooling jackets to the barrel making sure they are the correct distance apart. Paint the barrel.
@DSC07001.jpg:Glue the cooling jacket to the barrel and to the ends. Wrap it around, and glue it to itself where it overlaps at the barrel.
@DSC06999.jpg:This shows the completed cooling jacket.
@DSC07002.jpg:Add the detail parts to the main assembly.
@step9s.jpg:Paint detail using dry brush method with color of your choosing.
@Gu 002.jpg:Assembled gun now painted but without ammo feeds.
@Gu 003.jpg:Two assembled guns painted one with a home made sight on the front.
Bullet feeds also came with the gun and were assembled and painted separately. I waited to glue them in place after the guns were mounted on the plane to get the best fit possible to the gun and to the fuselage. These are shown in the pictures below.
!Mounted to planes
!!Lewis Gun to SE5a
I had to make a gun mount for the Lewis, and I'm sure in the future Allan will have a much nicer looking mount than mine. There are two magnets glued to the bottom of the mount and two glued to the top of the wing. These are strong magnets, but the gun can be removed in a couple of seconds if I want to lay the plane upside down to install the battery pack etc.
@DSC07007.jpg:The 1/10 scale looks good on the SE5a
@DSC07008.jpg:Secured to the wing with magnets the gun can be removed and reinstalled easily.
@DSC07009.jpg:The magnets will get painted in the future on the sides.
!!Spandau Guns to Fokker D-VII
It would have been a simple matter to simply glue the guns to the fuselage, but I wanted to do something with the bullet feeders. Using all four took up a lot of space, so I cheated and only installed them on the outside of the guns. I added some wood to the bottoms of the feeders to get them to lineup the way I wanted. I am happy with the effect.
@DSC07010.jpg:Twin Spandau guns ready to deal death in the Fokker D-VII.
@DSC07011.jpg:Guns stayed where they should after an evening shake out flight.
@DSC07012.jpg:
+gunsdu.wmv:A short video for this machine gun review for those with dial-up access.
+producegunsbb.wmv:Same video as above for DSL and Broadband users.
!Is this for a Beginner?
A beginner can certainly build these guns and paint them but they should probably be only used for static display until the pilot advances to the intermediate level.
!Conclusion
*Pluses
*Nice laser cut parts
*Good instructions with kit
*Very good instructions with pictures on the web site
*Available in a variety of scales
*Minuses
*Currently no wing mount for the Lewis machine gun
*No sights with the Spandau guns
Nice kits that are reasonably priced and are easy to put together that add to the appearance of your planes - that’s what the Wright Brothers RC provide. It will be nice when the wing mount is available for the Lewis machine gun, and I will need to get another Lewis for my Rough and Ready Nieuport 28 when Allan has the wing mount ready. I will get the 1/10 scale Spandau guns for my triplane in the future. Although these guns are only a small detail, to my eye they add a lot to their respective planes.
Wright Brothers RC designs and sells WWI machine guns for your warbird. For those of us with World War I planes who want to add more detail, we’re in luck! Currently there are two machine guns in their lineup: the German Spandau and the British Lewis machine gun, and it appears they are working on a Parabellum gun as well.
The guns are made in four different scales: 1/8, 1/9, 1/10 and 1/12. Based on wing length comparisons, I got the 1/10th scale Lewis for my second Great Planes Electrifly SE5a to mount on the top wing and the 1/9th scale Spandau guns for my Great Planes Electrifly Fokker D-VII. At the risk of giving away the ending, I should have asked for 4 Spandau guns as my Fokker Dr-1 needs a pair to keep up with my Fokker D-VII!
| spec2
|
| @Ws2.jpg
|> <b>Weight:</b> |< 2-3 grams
|> <b>Length 1/9 scale Spandau:</b> |< 4-7/16"
|> <b>Length 1/10 scale Lewis:</b> |< 4"
|> <b>Materials:</b> |< Laser-cut balsa, card stock & plastic (Lewis also has plywood)
|> <b>Manufacturer:</b> |< <a href=http://www.wrightbrothersrc.com>Wright Brothers RC</a>
|> <b>Available From:</b> |< <a href=http://www.wrightbrothersrc.com>Wright Brothers RC</a>
|> <b>Price:</b> |< $6.00 plus shipping & handling
!Kit Contents
Each kit comes with instructions, laser-cut balsa, card stock and plastic parts. The Lewis gun also has a small piece of plywood. More detailed instructions for the assembly of the guns can be found on the Wright Brothers’ web site and include color pictures of each stage along with a good description. The instructions for each page print out on one page.
!!Lewis Machine Gun Kit
@guns-04.jpg:Product information sheet
@guns-03.jpg:Detailed drawing of the gun
@guns-05.jpg:Parts as they come bagged
@guns-12.jpg:Parts out of the bag
@guns-13.jpg:Parts punched out of the laser cut balsa and plywood
@guns-11.jpg:Instruction manual on the inside of the product info sheet
!!Spandau Machine Gun Kit
@guns-07.jpg:Product information sheet
@guns-08.jpg:Detailed drawing of the gun
@guns-06.jpg:Parts as they come bagged
@guns-10.jpg:Parts out of the bag
@guns-09.jpg:Instruction manual on the inside of the product info sheet
*Kits Require:
*Wood glue
*Thin CA
*Thick CA
*Paints: black, brown and gun metal
*Small brush
*Exacto knife
*Sandpaper
*Rubbing Alcohol (Spandau)
!Assembly of the Guns
I found the instruction manual included on the inside of the Product information sheet to be sufficient for me to assemble these guns. However, I did check out the more detailed instructions on the web site, and they included color pictures of the different steps in the assembly process so that even a novice should be able to successfully assemble the guns without any problems. Below are pictures from their web site and then some of mine from the assembly process.
!!Assembling the Lewis Gun
@step1a.jpg:Laminate the slotted balsa main body part on left with plywood in the middle on its right and the other balsa part on the far right.
@step1b.jpg:Here is the view of the right side of the main assembly.
@step2.jpg:Laminate the figure 8 parts and the gun sight to the barrels as shown.
@step3.jpg:Carefully trial fit the barrels to the main assembly.
@step4.jpg:When satisfied with the fit, glue together with thin CA.
@step5.jpg:Laminate the 3-ammo drum parts together with proper alignment. Attach the paper pinwheel as shown to the top, and then add the plywood circle. Use foil to add the handle on top.
@step5a.jpg:Glue gun to drum body.
@step6.jpg:Glue tip of toothpick into slot for cocking handle and add a small drop of glue to tip for handle.
@step7.jpg:Add paper grips to gun handle and paint.
@Side_View.jpg:The finished gun ready for the plane.
@DSC06993.jpg:My own Lewis during the assembly phase.
@DSC06994.jpg:The Lewis gun assembled before painting.
@Gu 001.jpg:The assembled gun now painted.
!!Painting/coloring
To complete both guns I used a black permanent marker and Testor's flat black and European Gray Modelmaster (also by Testors) paint. I used a brown permanent marker on the Lewis machine gun handle.
Currently, the Lewis machine gun does not come with a mount for installing the gun to the upper wing of planes. Since I added mine to my SE5a, I drew a mount on balsa and added some thin plywood for strength. To that I installed two magnets on the mount and glued matching magnets to the wing. (My addition is shown in the pictures below.) As mentioned above, I used permanent markers to color my gun mount.
*Parts used:
*Balsa wood
*Thin plywood
*4 magnets
*Thick CA
!!Assembling the Spandau Gun
@DSC06995.jpg:Color the inside of the cooling jacket. I used a black magic marker.
@DSC06996.jpg:Wipe the cooling jacket with rubbing alcohol and wrap it around something round about the size of the cooling jacket.
@DSC06997.jpg:Laminate the three main body parts together. The identical two parts go on the outside.
@DSC06998.jpg:Glue the two ends of the cooling jackets to the barrel making sure they are the correct distance apart. Paint the barrel.
@DSC07001.jpg:Glue the cooling jacket to the barrel and to the ends. Wrap it around, and glue it to itself where it overlaps at the barrel.
@DSC06999.jpg:This shows the completed cooling jacket.
@DSC07002.jpg:Add the detail parts to the main assembly.
@step9s.jpg:Paint detail using dry brush method with color of your choosing.
@Gu 002.jpg:Assembled gun now painted but without ammo feeds.
@Gu 003.jpg:Two assembled guns painted one with a home made sight on the front.
Bullet feeds also came with the gun and were assembled and painted separately. I waited to glue them in place after the guns were mounted on the plane to get the best fit possible to the gun and to the fuselage. These are shown in the pictures below.
!Mounted to planes
!!Lewis Gun to SE5a
I had to make a gun mount for the Lewis, and I'm sure in the future Allan will have a much nicer looking mount than mine. There are two magnets glued to the bottom of the mount and two glued to the top of the wing. These are strong magnets, but the gun can be removed in a couple of seconds if I want to lay the plane upside down to install the battery pack etc.
@DSC07007.jpg:The 1/10 scale looks good on the SE5a
@DSC07008.jpg:Secured to the wing with magnets the gun can be removed and reinstalled easily.
@DSC07009.jpg:The magnets will get painted in the future on the sides.
!!Spandau Guns to Fokker D-VII
It would have been a simple matter to simply glue the guns to the fuselage, but I wanted to do something with the bullet feeders. Using all four took up a lot of space, so I cheated and only installed them on the outside of the guns. I added some wood to the bottoms of the feeders to get them to lineup the way I wanted. I am happy with the effect.
@DSC07010.jpg:Twin Spandau guns ready to deal death in the Fokker D-VII.
@DSC07011.jpg:Guns stayed where they should after an evening shake out flight.
@DSC07012.jpg:
+gunsdu.wmv:A short video for this machine gun review for those with dial-up access.
+producegunsbb.wmv:Same video as above for DSL and Broadband users.
!Is this for a Beginner?
A beginner can certainly build these guns and paint them but they should probably be only used for static display until the pilot advances to the intermediate level.
!Conclusion
*Pluses
*Nice laser cut parts
*Good instructions with kit
*Very good instructions with pictures on the web site
*Available in a variety of scales
*Minuses
*Currently no wing mount for the Lewis machine gun
*No sights with the Spandau guns
Nice kits that are reasonably priced and are easy to put together that add to the appearance of your planes - that’s what the Wright Brothers RC provide. It will be nice when the wing mount is available for the Lewis machine gun, and I will need to get another Lewis for my Rough and Ready Nieuport 28 when Allan has the wing mount ready. I will get the 1/10 scale Spandau guns for my triplane in the future. Although these guns are only a small detail, to my eye they add a lot to their respective planes.